With Eyes to See and Hands to Hold
by rose-lazuli
Summary: Minato arrives in time to help save Obito, but Madara still has his plans—and a different protégé. How Naruto could have unfolded if Obito had been saved by his comrades. Obirin.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi! This is my first Obirin fic! I hope you guys enjoy! No flames please!**

As soon as Rin had finished the final repairs on Kakashi's eye, she lowered her hands, her body finally able to succumb to the urge to tremble.

Beside her, Obito's hand nudged her knee, his keen senses detecting her distress. She forced her body to steady as she took his hand.

Kakashi opened his new eye, the bright red standing out in the dim light that peeked through the rocks that surrounded them. He nodded at them, then jumped upward, breaking through the rock.

Rin's grip on Obito tightened.

As the sound of the skirmish outside clanged in her ears, Rin found her own eyes closing, her breath barely leaving her as she prayed that Kakashi would be victorious.

_To have… to have to lose Obito alone…._

She sniffled as tears began to fall, leading Obito to squeeze her hand.

"Everything is going to be alright," he said resolutely, a small smile forming. He made a valiant effort, but even she could see the sadness in it.

But how could he not be sad?

"Yeah," she said, trying to keep the shaking from her voice. Now was not the time to give in to weakness.

There was a sudden movement at the top of the rock opening, and as their enemy—the man who had been torturing her with genjutsu—appeared, her heart stuttered in her chest, the beaten muscle burning—

_Kakashi!_

"Re…lax, Rin," Obito said.

Her torturer's body swayed, the fell to the side, revealing Kakashi.

Rin's frame fell slack for a moment, the overwhelming sadness at the thought of Kakashi's passing washing away, but as Obito's thumb rubbed the top of her hand supportively, she regained herself.

She was still going to lose one of her closest friends.

"Kakashi….Take…take Rin…Hurry….Get out of here," Obito said, his voice losing more and more of its usual strength.

Rin gently drew his hand closer. "Obito…."

He pulled his hand from hers. "It's alright. Go!"

Kakashi reached down for Rin, his body tensing as he felt the enemy approaching.

_Too late. _

He turned, quickly counting the men before him.

There were six—and all at least Jonin level.

Their leader, a bulky man with a large nose, put his hand to the ground. "Earth Release—"

There was a yellow flash, followed by a spray of red.

Minato had finished them all before Kakashi could even run to his side, but that was no surprise.

His sensei had the title of Yellow Flash for a reason.

He heard Rin crawl up from the rubble behind them. "Minato," she yelled. "Obito! He needs help!"

Minato was beside her in an instant, pausing to look at the piling of rocks before jumping down to Obito. As Kakashi and Rin scrambled down, the Yellow Flash felt the rock that was crushing their comrade.

"I could use my Rasengan to blast it away," Minato said after a moment. "But it will be messy. Do you think his body can take it, Rin?"

She nodded. "But I need to be close by. He'll need almost instant attention if he's going to survive."

"Alright. Kakashi, have your Chidori ready. I'll need you to deflect any debris that could hit the three of you."

Kakashi nodded, activating it as Minato charged forward, the bright blue of the Rasengan crushing into the rock.

_Two days later. _

Rin's body leaned of its own accord against the pristine, whitewashed walls of the hospital room as chakra exhaustion finally vanquished her will. All around the bed beside her, the four other medic-nin breathed a sigh of relief with her as the last of their work on Obito came to a close.

As she wiped a clammy hand over her headband-freed brow, she looked over the damage that Obito had suffered. One side of his body had essentially been remolded and practically reattached to his body, but even with their meticulous work, there would still be severe scarring.

_But he made it!_

And she was surprised that he had. When Minato had freed Obito from the rock, Rin had immediately attended to the damage in his brain and internal organs, keeping them functioning as they had made their way back to the village. After he had been admitted to the hospital, she had stayed with him, giving all the information she could about his injuries as the best medic-nin in Konoha tended to him. When the situation had turned particularly dire, she even aided them, though she had been almost devoid of chakra.

"You should rest," one of them said.

"I'm fine," Rin answered. "I'll stay here with him. After all, you said he should be awake within the hour, right?"

When the sweet-natured blonde nodded, Rin continued to reel at that fact. How could someone with such horrible injuries reawaken so quickly? Gods knew that if she had been the only one tending to him, Obito would be out for at least a week.

Then again, if she had been the only one taking care of him, Obito would be dead.

She shivered another, countless time.

"I'll get Kakashi and Minato," the woman said.

As the door shut softly, Rin moved a chair to Obito's bedside, her arms shaking from the effort. After her body had fallen onto it, she saw that his face was relaxed for the first time since his injury. When she had been tending to him on their way to the village, she didn't have enough chakra to keep him alive and numb him in any way. And when they had made it to the hospital, the five of them combined still didn't have enough chakra to completely anesthetize him.

Rin blanched, her stomach roiling again as she thought of his screams when she had begun his healing in the forest. Now, she had enough time for her stomach to truly process the memory, and she lunged for the wastebasket, retching into it as Kakashi entered the room.

He waited at the head of the bed as she collected herself. The White Fang's son was as quiet as always as he watched her, though now he analyzed her though only one eye. Despite herself, she blushed, embarrassed that he had seen her in such a state.

"Will he be alright," he asked after a long moment.

"Yes," Rin said shakily. "His recovery will be long, though."

"I'm sure he will be faster than most."

She smiled, glad that he was giving one of his rare complements. "Where's Minato?"

"He is giving another report to the Hokage. He'll be here shortly."

Rin nodded, and as a long silence fell between them, she started to think of her capture. Of the genjutsu—

Her exhausted mind fought back the tears that threatened to form.

_No….I-I can't think of that now. Focus…focus on something else…._

"Thank you for coming for me," she said.

"I didn't want to."

Rin's heart froze. Through her fog of exhaustion, she reasoned why that was as her mind harkened back to the conversation she had overheard between Minato and Obito. And even as the pain behind his reasoning caused her heart to soften from the stinging clench that she had grown so unfortunately used to feeling when it came to many of the things he said, she still could not shed the injury entirely.

_No, this is definitely the worst of them so far, _she thought, forcing back tears yet again.

"O-oh," she said, her voice shaking.

"Obito convinced me to do it," he said, looking at his comrade for a long moment before his eyes locked with hers. "And he was right."

_Does he know that his gaze is so intense? _

Rin frowned at herself. _Of course he doesn't._

She sighed. For someone so intelligent, the silver haired ninja really seemed to have no clue about the effect he had on women.

Rin smiled as she thought of the determination Obito must have had if he had been able to change Kakashi's mind about a _rule. _

_Obito…he really is something._

"So—"

Their attention turned to the head of the bed as Obito groaned, his head thrashing slightly on the pillow.

Rin leaned forward, gently squeezing his hand. "Obito?"

His mind seemed to struggle against his body's fatigue, but, after along moment, his one eye finally opened, the dark brown warming so gently as his gaze found hers.

**Author's Note: I just thought that I should add that this fic is not going to focus on a Obito/Rin/Kakashi love triangle. Rin's feelings for them both will have to be dealt with, but this is definitely an Obirin fic in terms of pairings. Thanks again for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Rin," Obito said softly. He tried to smile—an action he usually couldn't hold back at the sight of her—but the side of his face that had been crushed in the accident screamed in protest. When he groaned in response, Rin leaned forward, surveying his injuries. She tried to hide that her body was shaking from the movement, and as he looked more closely at her features, he could see that she was well past the brink of chakra exhaustion.

"You'll probably have to try not to move your face too much for the next couple of days," Rin said solemnly. "Since everything is freshly mended."

"You should rest, Rin."

She smiled softly at him. "I'm fine."

"You've been waiting for me to wake up," Obito said, looking at the room around him. When he spotted Kakashi at the end of his bed, he added, "Have you been here all this time?"

"On and off," the silver haired ninja said, looking away.

_So there is something that can make him feel awkward, _he thought, seeing his eye in Kakashi's face.

An uncomfortable silence fell among them as Rin fidgeted with her skirt and Kakashi stared off, his gaze as blank as always.

"Reinforcements were able to take care of our mission," Kakashi finally said.

When Rin smiled at him, Obito felt the usual pang of jealousy creep up on him, but as he looked more closely at her once more, he saw that she was incredibly tense—and hurt, her eyes dulled with a desperate attempt at masking her pain. If Kakashi saw it, he made no attempt to give it attention.

But why would she be upset at such a general statement? It wasn't as if she knew that Kakashi—

_No way….. _

He could see that Rin didn't notice his silent question, but the soft blush that colored her cheeks and the meek way she folded ever so slightly in on herself was his answer.

"I need to speak to Rin alone," Obito said.

Kakashi's mixed eyes met his remaining one, and as the ninja gave his usual no-response of a response, Obito wanted to stand up and throttle him across the room.

_That bastard!_

As the door shut silently behind the White Fang's son, he caught Rin looking at him, her features once again graced with their endless empathy.

"You must be wondering about your injuries," she said.

He was, but he would get to that later. "Did something happen between you and Kakashi?"

Her mouth opened in a little 'O' of surprise, her brown eyes widening. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about," she said quickly, her hands waving him off gently.

Obito could feel his eye narrowing. He always hated when he had to go against her wishes—he couldn't stand to see any discomfort on her face—but this time, the situation couldn't be ignored.

"I think I know what's going on," he said after a short, tense moment.

Rin's eyes instantly saddened, the warm brown clouding. "You must have said something amazing to get him to go against the rules."

Obito felt his chest warm at the comment, despite himself. "He shouldn't have told you."

Rin made a noise that was close to a snort, and when she spoke, her tone was as close to ire as he had ever heard it. "He's Kakashi, Obito. He's always blunt."

_Then why do you like him?_

"That doesn't excuse it."

Rin seemed to grapple with her answer for a moment. "I heard what Minato told you. And I can understand why he acted the way he did." She smiled softly, her usual demeanor returning. "This has been a good step forward for him."

_It doesn't excuse that he hurt you! That he wanted to abandon you! _"Yeah."

Rin smiled at him, her hands reaching out to take his undamaged one. "I really want to thank you, Obito," she said, the overwhelming gratitude and kindness in her voice making his heart pound and his tense body soften. No one else could possibly possess as much kindness as she did.

"Without you, I'd be dead now," she added, her hands shaking on top of his despite herself. Tears formed as she spoke again. "You went through so much for me…. I-I'm so _sorry _that all of this happened to you, Obito."

He gripped her hand. "I'd do it again, Rin," he said, trying to hide just how deeply that truth reverberated within him. "You're my closest friend."

She smiled at him, removing one hand to wipe away her tears. "You're such a good person, Obito."

_I'm definitely not the best person in this room, _he thought as they each drifted into their own reverie. His own was broken a moment later, though, when her grip on his hand tightened without her seeming to be aware of it. Given the distant, pained look in her eyes, she was thinking of her capture.

Obito's gaze locked with hers. "How bad was the genjutsu?"

Rin faltered, her expressive face hiding nothing, as usual.

It had been absolutely terrifying.

"I-I handled it," she said. As her body started to shake again, instinct told him that she was too exhausted and that the wound was too fresh for him to press her now.

_I should distract her._

Obito thought of the dull pain covering his body, and steeled himself, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer that would come.

"How bad are my injuries?"

**Author's Note: This chapter is a little short, but I felt like this was a good stopping point for this chapter. This chapter also marks the end of the recap/setup for the story. With the next chapter I'll be getting into the plot of this first arc so it'll be a long one! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **I just upgraded the rating to M to be safe for now—though it likely would have been upgraded later anyway. There are two possible **trigger warnings **in here: I mention in really vague detail the genjutsu torture that Rin was put under and there is a very vague reference to attempted rape.

Enjoy!

Rin was shocked from her reverie by Obito's question.

_It's about time he care for his own wellbeing, _she thought with a kind smile.

"I want to preface this with saying that you _will _completely recover," Rin said.

Obito gave a dry laugh. "It's so bad you need a preface," he said, his voice shaking despite his bravado.

Rin would have smiled, were things not as serious. "It should take six months."

Obito's eyes widened. "Six _months? _What about our missions—"

They both turned as the door opened, revealing a smiling Minato.

"I'm glad to see you're up," the Yellow Flash said brightly.

Obito frowned. "Though from the sound of it I won't be standing for a while," he grumbled.

Minato laughed. "Knowing you, you'll be healed in half the projected time."

"That's _still _too long," he whined.

Rin giggled a little despite herself. _He seems to be shaking off the close-call part of his injury rather well. _

As Minato went to sit on the chair adjacent to Rin, Obito's eye clouded, his face turning more serious than she had seen in months.

_Thought too soon. _

"I want to be there to help you," he said. "If I'm out for so long, you'll have to take missions without me."

"Well, that was what I was just discussing with the Hokage," Minato said. "For the next month at least, Rin will remain here to help with your rehabilitation. Since she was there to witness and give the first aid to your injuries, she knows their nature best. Kakashi and I will form a two-man team for that time."

Obito's eyes narrowed. "And after?"

Rin frowned as she analyzed Minato's expression. It seemed as serene as usual, but it lacked the joviality and kindness that was always present with it.

_This only happens when he's hiding something._

"We aren't certain of the date yet, but, shortly after that, there should be a mission for the three of us," Minato said.

Obito seemed as nervous as she was. "What rank?"

"S."

Rin felt her mouth gape for a moment, but she quickly regained herself. "Surely we aren't so low-staffed that they would send _me _on an S-rank mission? I'm only a chunin!"

"She can't," Obito said. "It's too dangerous, even with you there!"

"The mission needs a medic," Minato said, his glancing at them both before he said with an unusual firmness, "and it's the Hokage's orders."

Rin bowed her head. "Of course."

Given the angry blush on Obito's cheeks, he wanted to press the manner further, but he knew better than to counter Minato on one of the few occasions that he was firm with them.

Minato smiled, his voice warm again as he tried to lighten the moment. "It's just for one mission," he said. "After that, I have the Hokage's word that he will pair Kakashi and Rin on chunin-level missions until you are back, Obito."

Obito's fist clenched. "That's even worse!"

"What?"

Rin blanched, knowing what was to come—

"It's nothing," she said quickly, hoping that Obito wouldn't press the matter.

Obito opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Kakashi entered, an uncharacteristic blush barely peeking past his face mask.

"A shinobi should be able to defend his actions in person," Kakashi said, his voice as bland as usual.

"What's going on," Minato asked.

"Obito began the story," Kakashi said. "He should continue it."

Rin looked down at her tightly clasped hands in the short, tense silence that filled the room.

"After Rin was kidnapped, Kakashi and I had an argument," Obito began before glancing at Rin. To her surprise, he seemed almost pained for a moment before his eyes narrowed again, as if he had steeled himself for something. "Kakashi wanted to abandon Rin to the enemy until we had completed the mission."

_I really need to get some rest soon, _she thought as her body began to shake.

She frowned. _I'm not even good at lying to _myself_._

Minato glanced briefly at them all. "What changed his mind?"

Kakashi spoke before Obito could. "Something Obito said struck me. It changed my particular view on that rule."

Rin's heart clenched at the clever evasion. _He doesn't want me to know about his father._

Obito remained unmoved. "I don't trust that that will always be the case. It seems odd to me that he would have such a drastic—and immovable—change of heart."

_Now's your chance to defend Kakashi, _Rin thought, even as her heart—and her throat—started to constrict.

_But could what Obito is saying be right? I know that Minato and Obito will always come to my aid…but…would he?_

She shook herself. _Of course he would! He's headed in the right direction—you can't start doubting him now!_

"I—"

Rin stopped, her body refusing to speak yet again.

_He almost let you die…._

_You…love him…. And he almost let you die…._

She knew that Kakashi felt no love for her—that she was a comrade and nothing more—but camaraderie was no small thing, either….

_What if he doubts himself again, and, this time, Obito isn't there to persuade him?_

Flashes of the genjutsu swirled in her memory before she could stop them, making her pale.

A long moment passed in the stale room as they all gazed at her.

She dropped her head.

Less than a second passed before she heard Kakashi's footsteps. As he opened the door, he said, "I never make a mistake twice."

When the door closed, Rin took a shaky breath, her exhausted body succumbing to trembling yet again.

She moved to stand. "I'll—"

Her wobbly knees chose that moment to give out on her. As she began to fall forward, Minato steadied her, his gaze kinder than usual—and more serious.

"I'll talk to him," he said gently. "But you need to stay here tonight. The nurses told me that you were at a near-fatal level of chakra earlier."

Obito's eyes widened. "Rin—"

"I already asked the nurses, and they said you could stay on the opposite bed," Minato said, gesturing to the curtain that hid it from view. "I thought you would rather share a room together than with someone else."

As they both nodded, Minato excused himself.

When the door had closed behind them, Obito said, "You shouldn't have risked yourself that—"

Rin squeezed his hand. "You're so overprotective," she said. "I know my limits. And you shouldn't be saying anything," she added, her eyes growing sad. "You almost died the other day."

"And so did you, apparently!"

Her eyes met his. "Those are two different things…You truly were…near…." She wiped the tears that quickly fell. "It was a miracle that I was able to keep you alive until we reached the hospital."

Obito's gaze caught hers, his expression warming. "Thank you."

She smiled warmly at him. "Any time."

As the tension slowly began to ease between them, Obito gestured towards the curtain. "You really should get some rest."

Rin nodded, taking her pack from the wall and entering the bathroom to prepare for a desperately-needed good night's sleep.

Minato made more noise than usual as he approached Kakashi, who stood alone in the southwest corner of the shinobi graveyard. In the fading light of the day, the shadow of the White Fang's son stretched over the austere grave marker, casting it in shadow.

"You haven't been here since the funeral," Minato said.

"Some things have changed," Kakashi said.

"I can see that they have," Minato said. "And I think it has been a good step forward."

"So you don't think it is a true change, either," Kakashi said blandly, his gaze refusing to move from the gravestone.

"It's impossible to know for sure until there is a chance for your actions to be tested," Minato said. "If I were to guess, however, I would say that whatever Obito said truly did change you." He nodded at the grave marker. "After all, you are here."

Minato waited as Kakashi chose his next words.

"Rin didn't defend me," Kakashi said, and to Minato's surprise, there was unmasked anger in his tone.

"She's exhausted, Kakashi," Minato said. "I don't think she was able to act to her full potential. After you left, she nearly collapsed."

Kakashi's expression was as impassive as ever. "The rumors are that she loves me. For a while, I have counted them as true, but, now, I see that it is merely a childish crush." His eyes narrowed. "I used great discretion in my actions towards her before because, though I do not care for her in that way, I think it is repugnant to reject love harshly. That is not necessary now." His fists clenched. "I won't have to guard my criticism any longer. She is a sub-par shinob—"

"That is enough, Kakashi," Minato barked.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Rin loves you," Minato said, trying to control his usually limitless patience. "And you have no right to speak about a _comrade _in that way."

He nodded. "Understood….However, I don't see how you can say that she loves me. She betrayed me."

Minato's eyes softened. "She didn't betray you, Kakashi."

"She did," he said, looking out towards the sunset. "She did not defend me. One should always defend who they love….She simply shows more of what I have seen of the world."

"Kakashi….."

"My father killed himself, even though he had a son that he professed to love. My mother left before that out of shame at my father's choices. She did not take me with her." His gaze met Minato's. "And now Rin has acted along a similar vein."

"She seemed to be in shock," Minato said, thinking that it was best to try a different route than arguing about his idea of love. That… would take time. "She had just learned that you had almost abandoned her, after all."

"_But I didn't in the end,_" he growled.

"I know," Minato said. "So why don't you give her a chance to finish? When you left, she still wanted to speak with you. Wait until she's had some sleep and I'm sure she'll be there to defend you."

Kakashi said nothing.

Obito was woken by a sharp whimper from across the room. As he opened his eye, he saw Rin in the dim moonlight that filtered in through the gaps in the blinds. When he had kept watch over the team on missions, he had noticed that Rin usually slept soundlessly and rarely moved.

This time was very different.

She twisted around on the bed, her head thrashing as her hands gripped the sheet so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Once again, she whimpered, but it was quickly followed by a frightened moan.

Obito paled. _She's probably dreaming of the genjutsu._

"Rin," he called softly, hoping to nudge her from her nightmare.

She seemed unable to hear him as she thrashed again, her legs kicking slightly.

Obito didn't think twice as he forced the left side of his body to move, dragging the right behind it. When his right leg hit the floor, it hurt like hell, but he pushed himself forward, leaning against the walls and end tables until he made his way to Rin's bedside.

He braced his hip against the bed and gently shook her arm. "Rin," he said softly, his voice thick from more than pain. "Rin, it's just a dream. Wake up."

Her eyes shot open, her body jolting violently at the sight of him.

"Y-you," as her eyes finally caught sight of his broken side, the memory of her dream seemed to fade as she sat up. "You shouldn't be standing!"

"I couldn't just let you suffer," he said, a blush threatening to creep up his cheeks. The mattress shifted as she rose from the bed, and as Obito shifted to steady himself, he failed in holding back a groan.

Rin was beside him in an instant, taking his weight on her, ignoring his protests as she returned him to his bed. When she had finished, she collapsed into the chair beside him, her gentle eyes pained.

"Thank you," she said. "For waking me up."

Obito frowned. He had wanted to give Rin enough time to speak of the genjutsu on her own terms, but, in the silence that stretched between them, he wondered if that time would ever come. Her hesitance at returning to bed was enough to let him know that she was afraid to fall asleep again—and in the state she was in, rest was essential. Even worse, she had a track record of keeping things inside.

His fists clenched as he remembered a time last year when a slightly older shinobi had been interested in her. Rin had been keeping the harassment to herself for _five months _until one evening when he had seen Rin cornered in an alleyway, the man demanding that she give him what he wanted—

It was the first time he had injured someone enough to send them to the hospital.

When he spoke, it was with the same gentleness as that time. "That dream was about the genjutsu, wasn't it?"

Rin visibly shivered, her hazel eyes frightened. After a moment, she nodded.

"It might help if you talk about it."

She took his hand again, squeezing it. Luckily, her eyes were fixed to the off-white floor tiles, shielding her from his rapidly heating cheeks.

"They were showing what they would do to us if they didn't get the information they needed from me," she barely whispered.

Obito stroked his thumb over the top of her hand, knowing she needed the comfort. After a moment, she continued. "M-most of it was about what they did to you and Kakashi…be-before they killed you….When you arrived, they were just beginning to show what they would do to me if I didn't comply." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I-I'll just say that it wasn't the same kind of torture."

Obito had to force back his flaring rage at the last of her words. He lifted their joined hands in a silent request for her to meet his eyes. When she complied, he saw that tears were streaming past her reddened cheeks.

"Rin," he said, his voice raw. "We're fine….And you are, too." His grip on her tightened. "That's never going to happen to you."

She shook a little, her body slightly folding in on itself. "There are no guarantees, Obito." Her eyes were heartbreaking as they met his. "W-what happened on this mission alone…. Right now, were in the middle of a war! And—"

Using what pathetic strength that remained, he pulled her forward, holding her to him even as she protested about his injuries.

"I'm fine," he said, stroking her back in what he prayed to the gods only came off as the gesture of a comrade offering comfort.

Rin hesitated for a moment, then clung to him, her body overcome with grief. Obito noted that she put no pressure on his right side.

_Even now, she's so considerate…._

Obito looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I guess I can't _promise _our safety….But I can say that I'd do anything in my power to make sure we're all alright. And that's all anyone can do, right?"

Rin nodded weakly against him, her tears lessening. After a long moment, she disentangled herself from him, her cheeks heating slightly as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a little smile.

Obito quickly analyzed her, checking to see if he had truly been able to help her in the initial push forward.

_As usual, she never lies. _

He smiled. "Any time."

Rin made her way over to her bed and got in, pulling the covers over her. Obito acted as if he were trying to sleep as well, though he had no intention of doing so until he was certain she had first.

A half hour passed.

Then another.

"Rin," he said softly. "Is there anything I can do?"

She laughed a little to herself, her eyes opening to meet his. "You notice everything."

Obito fought back a very un-masculine blush.

She sighed. "It's too quiet."

Obito thought for a moment, trying to think of something that could be brought in or….

He hesitated at his own thought for a moment. He didn't want to look like a sap, but, at the same time,

it could ease her—

Obito started to hum his favorite lullaby from childhood.

Rin's eyes widened. "My mom used to sing this to me all the time."

Obito frowned a little, the memory of his long-dead mother  
fluttering to the front of his mind for a moment. "My mom did too."

Her eyes were watering again. "Obito…."

He forced his usual chuckle, his good arm scratching the back of his head. "I'm good, Rin."

She smiled softly at him, then closed her eyes as he continued to hum.

Rin caught Obito as he fell forward yet again, helping him stand straight as he used the iron bars beside him for support. As her body shook slightly from the effort, Obito frowned.

His eyes never missed anything.

"I'm too heavy for you," he said.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling.

"We can take another break—"

At that moment, the door to the physical therapy room opened, revealing Kakashi and Minato.

Rin blushed, the memory of her last encounter with Kakashi returning to her mind for the thousandth time that day.

"I-I'm glad to see you came," she said, smiling.

Some emotion flashed across Kakashi's eyes, but it was gone too quickly for her to read it.

"The Hokage thinks I will be more effective if Obito and I learn to time our Sharingans," Kakashi said coldly.

_I guess it wasn't a good emotion, _Rin thought, paling.

"It will help Obito as well," Minato added, his voice betraying the tiniest hint of tension.

_This must be bad. _

"Is there anything I can do to help," Rin said.

Kakashi's eyes were cold as they met her own. "I want to practice genjutsu first. You could be our test-subject."

Rin's eyes were watering before Obito could interject.

"What the hell," he yelled. "What are you thinking? Rin was just under a genjutsu!"

"Yes, Kakashi," Minato added, his voice troubled. "I don't think that would be the best id—"

"N-no," Rin said, her voice shaking. "I'll do it." She shyly met Kakashi's eyes, trying to mask how deeply his words cut. "If it will help."

She could feel Obito studying her as Minato helped him to a chair. After a long moment, he hesitantly agreed.

Rin went to stand in front of them, the sound of her pulse ringing in her ears, drowning out the sounds of Minato's instructions. As they both stared at her, activating their Sharingans, Rin tensed, her own heart shuddering at her own thoughts—

_W-what if…Kakashi…chooses to project something terrible?_

She felt a tear begin to slide down her cheek as her mind was transported to a sunlit field. A moment later, Minato touched her hand, deactivating the jutsu.

Obito looked horrified. "Are you alright?"

Rin smiled, wiping the tear away. "I was just nervous." She looked at Minato. "It went perfectly."

Minato glanced warily between them all. "I think that's enough for today."

Obito was uncharacteristically in favor of the shortened practice, making Rin frown.

_He always puts me first. _

She went over to help him back to his room, ignoring yet another one of his protests about him being too heavy.

"I'm just here to help you if you lose your balance on your crutches," she said, glancing at Kakashi, who was already making his way to the door.

"Kakashi," she said, her voice pained. "Could you wait here for a few minutes? I would like to speak with you."

He didn't turn. "I'll meet you at the park outside."

Rin frowned, her mind foggy as she helped Obito back to his room.

She knew that Kakashi was acting coldly because he was hurt by her actions yesterday—that much she was certain of.

What she didn't understand, however, was her sudden…distrust…towards him.

She knew what his heartbreaking reasons were for the way he was acting, so why was she unable to set his actions aside? Why was her famous empathy failing her now, _with him? _

_He almost let you die, _her mind echoed yet again, her skin chilling.

When she met Kakashi, he was leaning against a swing set, his shadow long in the setting sun. She was about to greet him when he spoke.

"Why didn't you defend me," he asked, his voice as masked with neutrality as his face.

Rin forced her own mixed feelings on that aside. "All the questions just caught me off-guard," she said. "A-and I was so exhausted. I-I hadn't slept in two days—"

Kakashi scoffed. "That's what Minato said."

"Kakashi—"

His interruption brooked no argument, and when he spoke, his tone was as practical as ever. "I've been hearing for years that you loved me," he said, making Rin's face immediately turn bright red. "But now I see that it was all a rumor." His eyes met hers, his gaze chilling her very marrow. "I use discretion in dealing with those who feel love for me, but that is not necessary, now that I know your feelings are just a childish infatuation—"

"Don't you _dare _say that," Rin said, her body shaking from the torrent of icy sadness and boiling rage. "I am _never _frivolous with my emotions," she added, though she instantly regretted it.

_I-I can't say anything more, _she thought, hating that her eyes were already betraying her as she felt hot tears running down her breeze-cooled face. _I-I won't confess like this. _

Kakashi looked away, his eyes troubled. "Maybe its the idea of love itself that is the real illusion," he said, his tone almost sarcastic.

Rin's heart tightened uncomfortably, some of her anger ebbing.

"Kakashi…."

He pushed himself off the swing set, his shoulders set back firmly. "We will continue our training tomorrow," he said, his voice as resolutely set as his body.

He would not allow her to follow him.

As his shadow faded into the distance, Rin felt herself walking towards the nearest swing, her body sinking onto the plastic as her body was once again wracked with grief.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to all that reviewed! I hope you all enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

Obito frowned as Rin helped him back onto his bed, her limbs shaking again from the effort even as her gentle eyes suggested otherwise. Since he had almost regained complete power over his right arm, he was able to position himself better, lessening the burden he placed on her.

Other parts of his body were a different story.

"Let me re-bandage your side," Rin said, reaching to the table beside his bed. As she did this, Obito forced down a blush, his stomach churning as he thought of how she was going to be looking at more of his scar tissue again.

It had been two weeks since he had woken up, and a little over a week and a half since he had seen the extent of his injuries. All along the right side of his body were rough, raised scars that formed a ripple-like pattern. His right eye remained, but the left had been given to Kakashi, leaving behind a closed lid. When he had first seen himself, Rin had tried to cheer him up by mentioning that, once the last of his wounds had healed, they could transplant an eye if he wished.

He intended to as soon as his last wound—a large gash in his side from where a jagged part of the rock had cut into him—healed.

Holding back a groan, Obito leaned up to allow Rin to dress the wound. As she came behind him to wrap the gauze around him, Obito closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of her hands as they gently wound the cloth around him even as a part of him knew that she must be disgusted by him now.

Gods, he knew it would have been incredible luck for him to win Rin's interest before all of this, but now….

He wondered why he bothered to hope.

Sure, Rin was an unusually empathetic person, but even she had to look at him and think he was hideous.

He grimaced as he remembered a small child who had walked by his room the other day. The kid had wondered a little way from his mother and had curiously peeked into his room. When the boy had seen Obito's face, he had started crying, his body convulsing with fear. His mother had quickly come to comfort him, and when she had seen him, he didn't miss the small flash of disgust.

Rin helped him lay back, her gaze intently reading his expression. Obito forced a smile, trying to think of something to distract her—

"The scars are already looking better," she said softly, her hazel eyes both warm and sad. "After a while, we'll be able to do a little to help them come down. In a year, they'll look almost like a tattoo done with white ink."

"Hey, there's no reason to worry about me," he said.

Rin's gaze grew serious, her eyes holding his right one. "I told you once before that I'm looking out for you, didn't I?" She gently took his hand in hers, a habit she had formed since his injury. "I know you're hurting."

Obito frowned. "And you say my eyes catch everything," he almost laughed. "I thought I was hiding it pretty well."

Rin gave a little smile. "You were hiding it well….But you don't need to hide from me." Her eyes met his again. "I'm always here for you, Obito."

Obito squeezed her hand, his heart tightening in his chest. "I know."

A small alarm beeped in Rin's bag, reminding her to head out for her afternoon training with Minato and Kakashi. As she went to turn the metallic annoyance off, her face fell, her eyes growing troubled. Obito's chest tightened again.

Kakashi had grown worse and worse since he had awoken. For some reason, Rin's balking at coming to his defense had seemed to take a big bite out of his ego. Personally, Obito couldn't see why. Rin had been tired, after all. She always defended him and was always there for him.

_Rin cares for me as a friend, but she loves him. Why would he be so cold to her when she has an off moment? He obviously doesn't love her….Or…I hope that's not his _way _of showing love, _he thought with a grimace, even as he blood raced with jealousy at the thought of Kakashi returning Rin's feelings.

As Rin began to collect her things from around the room, Obito felt a stab of guilt. Though he _knew _he would be a better choice for Rin, he knew he shouldn't be hoping that Kakashi wouldn't return her feelings. After all, anything that made Rin happy was what he wanted most.

Obito pushed all the conjecture from his mind. It was much better to deal with the immediate problem.

"Rin," he said as she started for the door. His heart tightened again at the mix of a forced smile and the worried eyes that graced her features. "Ignore Kakashi's moods. Whatever's wrong with him will pass in a few days."

To his surprise, Rin's heart didn't lighten, even as she softly said, "I know."

…

Obito wasn't afraid to admit to himself that he was frazzled by the time Rin returned with their comrades several hours later. While she had been gone, her lack of usual resilience and determination had weighed on him.

Just what kind of impact did the silver-haired shinobi have on her?

_And has he done anything else to her since I saw her?_

When Rin entered the room, she looked more downcast than ever, her body closed in on itself as if she were trying to disappear from the room. As she put her pack down and came over to him, she forced a smile that proved weak despite her intentions. "Hey," she said, only for her eyes to widen as Obito tried to sit up completely on his own.

"You aren't _quite _ready for that yet," she said gently as she helped him rise.

Obito barely heard her words as he glared at Kakashi and Minato looked worriedly around the room. After a moment, the Yellow Flash sighed.

"Let's get to the training room," he said, trying to sound lighthearted.

Kakashi seemed energized by the words, his original eye—the only one that could be seen, now that his forehead protector covered his Sharingan—widening with…bloodlust?

His thoughts distracted him for a moment too long as he tried to stand on his crutches. In a flash, one crutch slipped out from under him on the newly waxed floor, making him fall forward. Beside him, Rin reached forward and caught him, a low whimper escaping her as he had to steady himself by gently gripping her waist.

Obito's eye flared. "I'm so sorry, Rin," he said as she helped him gain his balance on his crutches. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Rin's cheeks were bright red, her body closing in on itself again as she tried to force back tears. "You didn't hurt me, Obito," she said comfortingly. "I-I just—"

"She needs to practice her taijutsu," Kakashi cut in, his tone bland. "She didn't stand a chance against me in training today."

Obito could feel himself beginning to shake from the anger that tore through him. "What do you think you were _doing,_" he practically growled, his gaze moving from Rin's injured side to Kakashi's emotionless face before settling on Minato. "Why didn't you stop him?"

Minato frowned, his expression indicating that he expected such a question. "I wasn't expecting him to use such force," he said, his eyes narrowing on Kakashi. "And I already explained to him that it will _not _be tolerated again."

Kakashi was silent, his eyes showing a glimmer of fear beneath their depths.

Obito would have laughed were things not so serious. _So Kakashi finally gets one of the Yellow Flash's punishments, _he thought, only to grimace as he remembered one he had faced shortly after becoming a member of Minato's team.

He turned to Rin as Kakashi began to stride down the hall, Minato close on his heels. "Are you alright," he said softly.

Rin's features seemed to debate forcing another smile, but a frown won out. "I-I'm fine…but…." Her gaze was torn between confusion and a pain that was absolutely non-physical as she looked at Kakashi in the distance.

Obito felt a strong urge to hold her to him, to tell her that it was alright for her to be upset, but he knew he couldn't do that, even if he didn't have the crutches.

They walked in silence for a moment as Obito tried to think of what he could say that would help her, only for his reverie to be interrupted as Rin spoke again.

"I…I knew he could be harsh…but I never thought that he could be cruel," she said so softly that his ears barely caught the tearful words.

Obito stopped, analyzing her even as she refused to meet his gaze. Up ahead, he could feel Kakashi and Minato stop.

Obito balanced himself so that he could take her hand, a habit that he too had formed since he had woken up. "You get some rest, Rin," he said. "You don't need to push yourself after the kind of hit you've suffered." _Physically or emotionally. _He turned towards the others. "We'll train tomorrow." His gaze leveled on Kakashi. "But I want to talk to you."

Rin's eyes flared. "Obito—"

He smiled at her, even as his veins ran hot with anger at Kakashi's approach. "It's all alright, Rin. Get some rest." _I'm looking out for you too._

Rin nodded worriedly, though her eyes were genuinely warm as she said goodbye to him.

…

Neither spoke as Kakashi followed Obito to his room. After the door softly clicked shut, a tense silence filled the space as Obito gained enough composure to say what he needed to say.

"I don't care what's been making you act differently lately, but you're _never _going to do that to Rin again," Obito said.

"We were training," Kakashi said. "I was simply using the same level of force with her as I use with you, and less that what I attack Minato with."

Obito didn't give a damn about the small insult. "Rin is a medical ninja. She doesn't need that level of training—"

"Our team would be stronger if she had it. I have chosen to let such a failure slide before, but I won't now."

"_Rin is not a failure._"

"No, that's your station. I was simply trying to improve one of her few failings."

"You. Won't. Do. It. Again," Obito said, his glare venomous.

The White Fang's son raised his brow. "And what will you do about it? I'm trying to impro—"

Obito barely felt his body's arching protest as he pushed Kakashi into the wall, his forearm coming up to hold Kakashi in place.

"I _will _make sure that you pay," Obito said.

Kakashi regarded him for a long moment, his expression as impassive as ever even as his eyes shone with confusion.

Finally, he straightened. "Fine."

Obito couldn't hold back the flaring of his eye. _I thought it would take more than that, _he thought as he released him. In front of him, Kakashi stalled for a fraction of a second, frowning, before he departed.

…

Kakashi stared out at the village from atop his favorite hill, which lay a short distance from the city walls. Beneath him, the yellowed grass was crisp and brittle as it swayed from the initial gusts of the first winter storm of the season. He had watched for over an hour as the low, bulky masses of gray had crept over him and had slowly overtaken the blue sky that almost always graced the city. Soon, he felt the first, fat drops of rain as they fell onto him, their biting temperature chilling him with more effectiveness than a shinobi should be vulnerable to.

He frowned, thinking of Obito's actions. While the shinobi was still no threat to him, he had honored his request after seeing how he had reacted to Rin's injury.

_He has never failed to defend her…and she's always done her all for him, even if she doesn't think that she has. _

The memory of the night of Rin's retrieval came back to him unbidden, making his fists clench.

_ Rin's hands had been cloaked in green chakra for hours, the soft, jade light never flickering as she tended to all of Obito's right side. Minato, who had had limited medical training, had assisted when he could as Kakashi had sat, guarding them._

_ Minato wiped his brow, his eyes concerned as he watched Rin concentrate on Obito's leg. _

_ "You'll need to sleep soon," Minato said. "I can keep him stable for a few hours."_

_ Rin shook her head, her brown hair dancing around her shoulders. "I just need another rations pill. That'll give me enough energy to make it back to Konoha."_

_ "Enough energy, yes, but it won't help your chakra. You and Kakashi take two hours, and then we'll head back."_

_ Rin had known that Kakashi didn't have enough chakra to make the trip back without rest, making him curse under him breath as Rin had said, "You and Kakashi had to use a lot of chakra in battle. You need the rest mor—"_

_ "You've been working on him for five hours," Minato said gently. _

_ "It takes longer for chakra exhaustion to occur with medical ninjutsu," Rin reminded him. "We'll be in Konoha within five more hours—I can make it until them."_

_ "Rin—"_

_ For the first time since Minato's return, Rin's eyes welled with tears. "Please, sensei," she said, her voice cracking. "Let me do this."_

_ Minato said nothing as he and Kakashi went to their sleep mats. _

_ …_

_ Within a half hour, Minato had reluctantly fallen asleep. Rin must have thought that Kakashi had as well, given that she had started to softly whisper to Obito, though he had passed out long ago._

_ Rin worriedly looked at Obito's features as they continued to contort with pain. "I'm _so _sorry, Obito," she said, the salt of her finally-shed tears permeating the space. "Y-you've done so much for me…."_

_ She was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again. "You always save me when I need you—and Kakashi, too….A-and what can I do here?" Her body quaked on a heavy sob, her breaths leaving her in weighted sputters. "I've barely been able to keep you alive." She whimpered. "And you're in so much _pain_." _

_ Kakashi frowned as she struggled with herself. "_She acts as if Obito is the only one that does any saving," _he thought, remembering a time that he had saved them both from a particularly nasty Jonin from the Hidden Mist. As he tried to think of another time that he had aided them, he wanted to curse._

_ That was the only time._

_ Obito had saved her dozens of times, as she had saved him and healed them both._

_ And she always appreciates his kindness…his thoughtfulness._

_ Do I do anything…personal that she can really appreciate?_

_ He opened his original eye, glaring at Obito. _They say she loves me, and she's awed by my skills, but…she admires his personality as she tolerates mine, _he thought, his tired fists clenching, even as a part of him was disgusted by his own… jealousy. _

Kakashi continued to look out at the village, even as it was partially obstructed by his drooping, waterlogged hair. As he looked in the direction of the hospital, he thought of the vow he had made to Obito—that he would protect Rin.

_Yeah, I've been doing a really good job with that. _

It was cowardice to treat Rin the way he had, even if she had failed him. And, now that he had seen just how willing Obito was to…protect her from his derision, he felt even worse. He had thought that Obito's feelings were mere childish infatuation, but now he saw that that was definitely not the case. Obito loved Rin.

_And he's the first I've ever seen that _really _means it._

And that was not something he would dishonor.

…

Rin's attention-span was terrible as she helped Obito train the next afternoon. That morning, she had come to her usual lesson with Minato and Kakashi expecting the worst—an Obito provoked Kakashi. Which, given his sudden…anger in general, was not a good thing at all.

But Kakashi had acted as he had before Obito's injury, save his odd intensity at target practice.

As Rin helped Obito with his leg exercises, she blushed as she asked, "What did you say to Kakashi?"

Obito's gaze as it met hers was unusually gentle, as if he had been waiting the entire session for her to gain the courage to ask him.

_Gods I'm pathetic._

"I told him that he wouldn't do it again," Obito said.

Rin thought it was best that she didn't press him for details. Whenever Obito was cryptic with her, it was to spare her feelings….And she desperately needed that now.

_Which is even more pathetic. _

Later, as Obito was changing into his sleep clothes before returning to his bed, Rin thought of what Kakashi had said to her at the playground.

_He may be acting the same now, but I somehow doubt that he has come to understand just how much I care for him, _she thought, hating that hot tears welled in her eyes yet again.

_I'm so tired of this._

Though she hated to admit it, Kakashi's actions in the last week and a half had shaken her perspective towards him. Before, she had thought that his lack of compassion came only from his tragic childhood—but now she wondered. So many of their comrades had their own tragedies—but none of them acted so coldly.

_Maybe…that's just the way he is, _she thought, cursing under her breath as she wiped her sleeve over her eyes.

Either way, she deserved better.

_It's a shame that the heart doesn't follow the mind the way the body does, _she thought sadly as Obito opened the door. He smiled at her as he always did, and Rin was glad for the small consolation that the friendly gesture gave her as she came to him with his crutches.

Obito leaned on his good side as she positioned the second crutch. "I've been meaning to ask about the progress on my leg—"

They both stopped as a bright flash outside further illuminated the room, the yellow light barely fading as the hospital shook around them.

Rin paled. "What—"

Kakashi, who had been meeting with another medical ninja down the hall to help with the remaining therapy for his new Sharingan, charged into the room, the red eye uncovered.

"We're under attack," he said, his body tense.

A Jonin was in the room a moment later, followed by a medic-nin.

"Kakashi, they need us all in the Hokage's office for orders," the Jonin said.

Kakashi turned to them for a moment, his eyes uncharacteristically worried. "Stay safe," he said, his gaze lingering on her for an extra second before he went to join the Jonin.

Rin hated that a blush crept up her cheeks, but she had little time to dwell on it as the medic-nin told her to join the others downstairs.

Rin turned to Obito, her stomach tightening. "I-I doubt they'll reach here. You—"

Obito took her hand, his gaze stern. "Stay safe, Rin," he said.

Rin squeezed his hand. "You too."

…

Obito's heart was racing as he saw Rin run into the hallway. As she turned, he saw another flash of yellow dance across the white walls from the left hall window, followed by—

_Shrapnel._

His stomach dropped, his eye widening and his veins running cold as he saw the scene unfold before him.

Rin's eyes widened as pieces of the building came hurling towards her from the left side. As the hospital seemed to debate bracing itself or collapsing, the shaking made Rin fall as tiny, red-hot pieces of iron shot down the hall, some of them hitting her, burning past her clothes and into her skin. As she screamed, she crawled back towards his room as Obito dropped his crutches, the good half of his body forcing the other half to move with it. As he looked up, he saw the ceiling crackle as it was berated with the iron remnants, and heard the metal that hold it up groan—

There was another flash of light, followed by a rain of concrete, steel, and tile as the ceiling collided with the hallway floor, swallowing Rin.

**Author's Note: I want to thank all of you who reviewed! It really encourages me! : )**

**I felt that I should address a few things in the story here, in hopes that some of my perspective on the characterization will be clear, in case anyone is wondering. I know that Kakashi doesn't seem like the character he is after Obito's "death" in the manga, and I will get him there in time. I feel like, in this case, all that happened on the mission wouldn't have ****_quite _****the effect it had on him in the manga because Obito didn't die. I'm also trying to focus on the aspects of his personality that made him identify so much with Sasuke in the manga. But he definitely will be getting back to his usual self! **

**Also, I definitely don't know a lot about the different jutsus in the manga, but, for this story's purpose, and from what has been shown of medical ninjutsu, I would think that medic-nin can use their abilities for an extended period of time—like they have on the battlefield throughout the war. Anyway, that's where that idea came from….**

**Oh! And next chapter I plan to start including characters that would have been their age, like Kurenai. Also, I apologize for the late update—I expect that it'll be out bi-weekly (or even sooner) from now on. I would talk about more with the characters (I'm just fascinated by them!), but I know that that these notes aren't supposed to be long, so I'll stop here! : )**


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